


after the Storm

by withagun



Category: Everyman HYBRID
Genre: Accidental Incest, Evan/Stephanie (mentioned), F/M, Implied Cannibalism, Pseudo-Incest, because they're adopted siblings, nothing graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-10-01 15:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10193414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withagun/pseuds/withagun
Summary: Jeff wakes up and Strength is found.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for those who have weak stomachs - I do mention the thing HABIT makes Evan do.   
> Also, all the thanks to mskittentits on tumblr who was my beta. I really appreciate the help you gave me and I apologise for how long it took to post.

Jeff wakes up gently, grass under his fingers, sun on his face, faint birdsong--home again. 

 

He failed.

 

“Fuck,” he murmurs, and opens his eyes.

Ten fingers, ten toes, feet, legs, and other appendages where they should be. HABIT was rather brutal this time -  it might take a while before he can stop rubbing his hands. He can still feel the damage, phantom pains where HABIT took revenge. Or pleasure. Or both. Last time he woke, Vinnie had been there. A comforting sibling is definitely preferable to waking alone.

 

Taking stock of his surroundings, Jeff eases himself to stand, legs unsteady from lack of use. How much time there was between his abduction and his death he has no way of knowing. How long waking up at Home took he can probably find out if Dad happened to find him. 

 

‘Fuck,’ he says again, remembering in a rush. Stephanie. Is she here yet? Had Evan gotten her out before HABIT took him? She's not in the Clearing, or not yet, or already gone. Stupid timeshifts. 

He needs to get a hold of Dad, figure out where Steph is, and check on the guys.

Evan is going to lose his shit when he wakes up. HABIT will let him wake up, force him to see what it did. There's no doubt about  _ that _ , so Jeff needs to work out yet another ‘not your fault’ ‘I'm ok’ ‘I  forgive you’ speech. 

Vinnie is probably terrified, and probably doing something stupid, and being ridiculously brave. Knowing his brother, the stupid thing will most likely negate the brave thing.

He needs to check the Mirror, to  _ see _ , to figure out what's going on.

 

He turns in time to catch the eye-searing flash of an Entry, and when his eyes clear, his sister is struggling to her knees, panic and horror slowly fading as she realizes where she is.

‘Steph!’ He catches her shoulders, letting her fall against him as she starts to cry. Through her sobs he can make out a few words, mostly “My baby!’ 

_ Fuck HABIT _ , he thinks viciously. He holds Stephanie until her cries abate, then moves to look in her face. 

‘I'm sorry, Steph,’ he murmurs gently. Her eyes, red-rimmed and vacant, stare past his.

‘It made him do it,’ she says vaguely. ‘It took his hands and his mouth, and it made him eat - oh, God, oh God,  _ my baby _ !’ She buries her face in his jacket and breaks into fresh tears.

Jeff goes numb. HABIT has done terrible things to them - screaming nightmare-worthy things that make them sleep in a puppy pile of arms and limbs just for the sake of knowing they're alive - but  _ this _ .

 

They are going to end HABIT someday, and if possible, they’ll let Stephanie and Evan finish it off.

They deserve no less.

 

***

 

Stephanie cries herself out and slumps, exhausted, against her brother. Jeff is quiet, idly pulling a daisy apart as he waits for her to recover, collecting his thoughts. He has lost track of iterations and tiny variations when he was accidentally killed by something other than Him or HABIT, but the memories of those iterations has accumulated each time. Maybe someday, in a thousand years, they will finally figure out how to end this.

 

Steph finally stirs, and he moves to stand up, wincing at the pins and needles in his legs before reaching down to help her up. Her eyes are swollen and red but much more clear, and the look of determination he sees in them is both familiar and relieving. 

‘The House?’ Jeff offers. 

She nods, lacing her fingers between his. She doesn’t bother asking him about length of time. Here, at Home, time holds very little meaning. They can’t really manipulate it the way Dad can, not yet, but stepping in and out is fairly easy.

‘Have you seen Dad or Vinnie yet?’ she asks instead. 

He shakes his head. ‘I haven’t really gone anywhere. Mirror or Dad first?’

‘Dad, I think,’ she says, letting go of his hand to reach for a stick, then freezing abruptly and turning to stare at him with huge eyes. 

‘Jeff, I slept with Evan. I saw him _ naked _ ! He’s my brother!’

His snicker quickly turns into a full laugh, and she whacks him in the shoulder.

‘It’s not funny, Jeff! I don’t-’ she breaks off and covers her eyes with one hand, hiding her dismay and chagrin. He takes her hands again. 

‘Did -  _ do _ you love him?’

‘I - I think so? I don’t - I don’t know.’

She moves in for a hug, and he wraps his arms around her, forehead resting against hers.

‘Let’s save the freaking out for when he turns up, ok? You can talk to Dad, get it sorted in your mind. Evan loves you -  there’s no doubt about that. Give it some time.’

Stephanie stays quiet for a little while, then nods slowly and steps back.

‘Let’s go find Dad.’

 

***

 

James Corenthal, seated in the arbour just outside the House door scribbling in his notebook, beams as they approach.

‘Stephanie! Jeff! Welcome home!’

His arms, strong and protective, wrap around them both, the familiar scent of leather and smoke reassuring them that for the moment they are , for the moment, safe. If Jeff’s eyes blur momentarily, and a sound like a sob comes from Stephanie, no one mentions it.

They pull back almost at the same time, one of their father’s hands on each of their shoulders. His warm blue eyes regard each of them in turn, and he nods.

‘Well done. I’m so proud of you both.’

Stephanie moves a hand up to her shoulder to rest on his, and she relaxes for a moment, content just to breathe. He turns his own hand and and grasps hers gently.

‘Look, Stephanie.’

The basket on the bench beside the forgotten notebook is filled with blankets, and she double-takes before gasping and rushing over to it. Jeff blinks as she cradles the infant, watching her rest her head on the tiny, blanket-wrapped body.

‘Is that-?’

His father smiles.

‘Yes, that’s their baby.’

Stephanie is crying again, face radiant through her tears. The baby gurgles and she laughs delightedly, turning towards her brother and father.

‘How did you find her?’

‘She turned up not too long ago, right outside the door here.’ Corenthal grins. ‘She looks like you, don’t you think? Have you named her yet?’

Stephanie shakes her head.

‘We didn’t get a chance.’ She swallows and looks back down at the baby. ‘Audrey - strength. She’ll need it.’

Her father wraps an arm around her shoulders on one side and Jeff slides in on her other.

‘She’ll be it, too,’ Corenthal says. ‘She’s perfect, honey.’


End file.
